


But You Promised

by Boketto__Boketto



Category: Ghibli - Fandom, Ponyo - Fandom, Studio Ghibli - Fandom
Genre: Betrayal, F/M, Fish, High School, Love, Melancholy, Ocean, Sea Monsters, True Love, True Love's Kiss, Water
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2018-12-17 00:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11839935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boketto__Boketto/pseuds/Boketto__Boketto
Summary: The day Sosuke swore to stay by Ponyo's side was a day that would change the course of the Earth's history. But a five-year-old's promise isn't the most solid foundation to build the survival of the universe on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All of the characters presented in the following story belong to Studio Ghibli and every person who contributed to the production of the film, Ponyo.

A happy, yellow sun drifted slowly up from behind the horizon. Brightness reflected off of the glittering water, indicating the start of a new day. 

Ponyo snoozed in her bed, mouth hanging open with her gentle snores. She was always such a sound sleeper.

Next to her, a frantic Sosuke packed up a satchel full of various supplies. A pencil. A pen. A notebook. An eraser. Today was a big day for the young man. Today, he would enter high school. A festering mess of teenage hysteria and anxiety. Sosuke's stomach was in tight knots. Someone must have knitted his organs together while he was sleeping and tangled everything up. There was no way he could do this. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even think! How was he going to survive the whole day without oxygen? He wondered if it was too late to ask his mom if he could opt for home tutoring like Ponyo had. 

Ponyo wasn't quite ready to leave the safety of her house on the hill. A decade ago, she had turned into a girl, and after that adventure, Ponyo hadn't wanted to leave Sosuke's side. But after a gravely devastating fight between Ponyo and her dearest friend of ten years a few weeks back, Ponyo decided that it would be best to continue with home tutoring. It was how Lisa, the matriarch of the home, had educated both Sosuke and Ponyo since after the the strange events that took place. 

Both of the young teens had the option to either pursue a private school education in the local high school, or else stay home with their usual tutor. Originally, Ponyo planned on staying with their tutor. Sosuke had that plan too. But something changed. 

When Ponyo finally blinked awake, she saw that Sosuke was already gone. She frowned as she rubbed her eyes. "Stupid, Sosuke..." she mumbled quietly. 

Lisa peaked her head into the room. "Oh good!" She smiled. "You're awake. Sosuke left ten minutes ago. Aren't you excited for him?"

Ponyo didn't respond. She just rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her messy, short, red hair. 

Lisa didn't have to look too hard to notice Ponyo's bad mood. "Listen, Ponyo." She sat down across from the young woman on the bed. "Sosuke is growing up. He can't stay with you forever."

Ponyo laid back down and covered her head with her pillow. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't say anything out loud. "He's supposed to," she yelled in her head. "That's how it's supposed to be." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did NOT expect this fic to get so many hits. I last updated it a year ago or so and I totally forgot about it! I decided to continue writing this in my free time, since I'm trying to get back into writing for fun! So please enjoy!

What was going on? Why was everyone so loud?

Teenagers dashed around, all donning the same plain uniform. Kids jumped on others in the classroom, sat on each other's desks. Sosuke recognized a few of the students as boys and girls whom he attended kindergarten with, but none of them seemed to recognize him at all.

  
Sosuke remembered everything about kindergarten vividly, considering that was the year the whole world got flipped upside down. He remembered every face, and every name that he came into contact with. But after he disappeared from school to spend more time at home with Ponyo, it was quite obvious that everyone he used to play house with and read picture books with had forgotten he even existed.

Somehow, the realization that he had been brushed aside without a second thought filled Sosuke with a strange sort of bitterness. Ponyo was the reason he never had the chance to make friends or to experience middle school or to even have a normal day. For the past few months, Sosuke had been feeling this frustration growing in his chest, causing him to lash out towards Lisa and treat Ponyo like public enemy number 1.

Sosuke was angry. But being anywhere without Ponyo still felt foreign. Despite the rationalizations he made to justify his animosity, Sosuke still wished that Ponyo was by his side.

Sosuke huffed and flipped open his textbook, busying himself with the pages so that he could ignore the conflict hammering at his heart.

As the school day progressed and first period melted into second and second into third and third into fourth and fourth into lunch, Sosuke thought on his situation. Nobody knew him, so that meant that nobody would remember the weirdness surrounding his disappearance. In fact, this was a blessing in disguise! Maybe this wouldn't be so bad! Maybe he could start new-

"Oh my god! You're Sosuke aren't you?" A high-pitched, nasally voice pierced through Sosuke's excited, erratic thinking.  
Sosuke, very slowly, shifted his eyes up from his book. He could feel that his face was flushed with surprise.

"You are! It has been so long." A girl with one, long braid down her back, tied off with a bow, and tons of makeup was leaning on his desk, supporting herself with her elbows on either side of the surface. "Remember me? I'm Kumiko."

Sosuke's heart stopped dead in its tracks.

  
Kumiko. Kumiko remembered him? Sosuke pushed up his glasses with a shaking hand. Kumiko recognized him?  
"Kumiko. Hi. Yeah. It's been a while." Sosuke busied himself with flipping the pages of his book. Why was she talking to him? Kumiko never really treated Sosuke well at all. He had many memories of her stealing his toys and getting him in trouble with her incessant crying.

  
"I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" Kumiko giggled. "Not after you disappeared off the face of the earth." She perched herself up on Sosuke's desk, plucking his book from his hands playfully. "At least you're still cute."

Sosuke attempted to swallow the lump growing in his throat. "Thanks," he responded politely, hoping that Kumiko would go away. If she was at all like she was when they were children, Sosuke wanted nothing to do with her.

"Don't worry. I've forgiven you for your fish spitting on me that one time." Kumiko patted the book against Sosuke's forehead. "I'm not one to hold grudges."

"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to study," Sosuke interjected, gently pulling the book out of Kumiko's hands. "Did you need anything?"

"Well, now that you mention it." Kumiko's lips suddenly flipped into a wide grin. "I came to ask you out on a date."

Sosuke's jaw fell open. His words had suddenly flew from his mind. Although he didn't want to, and although he knew Kumiko might be bad news in some way, all Sosuke could squeeze out was a tiny, feeble, "I guess." Instant regret.

A date? Oh no. This was bad. Why did Kumiko want to ask Sosuke out? Why did Sosuke say yes?

The moment school let out, Sosuke ran all the way home. He was in such a rush that he nearly forgot to put his school slippers in his locker and pull on his loafers before he barreled out. He nearly plowed three people over with his bike as he made his mad dash home.

Upon returning home, Sosuke's first instinct was to run to Ponyo and pour it all out for her, but then, just as he was about to burst into their shared room, Sosuke remembered that he was mad at her. Sosuke was really mad at her, especially after today. It's because of his promise to her that Sosuke had to deal with being the kid nobody noticed. Why did Ponyo have to know everything about his life? Sosuke was nearly a man, and he had to stop sharing his private business with Ponyo all the time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about gaps between updates! I started college and I have a job now, so I'm really really busy! I still want to to write this story though, because I know exactly where I want it to go! So hang in there, guys!

Sosuke wasn't sure if he looked handsome or stupid. Lisa assured him that his slicked back hair and polo shirt were charming. 

"It's almost exactly what your father wore on our first date," she swooned. She had then fallen into a rant, complaining about how, back then, she didn't know he would be at sea so much. She still loved him, she stated indignantly, but she still wished he could be here to see Sosuke's first ever date with a girl. 

Lisa spun around to ask Ponyo what she thought, "Doesn't Sosuke look handsome?"

Ponyo didn't even bother to glance up from her book. She understood that Sosuke suddenly wanted nothing to do with her. She decided that it would just be easier to avoid engaging. Ponyo also wasn't feeling very well. Ever since Lisa spilled the news to her about Sosuke's going on a date, Ponyo's head had been in a tail spin. Her knees were weak and her ears were ringing. 

"Yep. Super handsome." Ponyo muttered. She turned her body away and burrowed herself deeper into the couch, using her feet to pull a knitted wool blanket over her body. 

Lisa looked between Ponyo and Sosuke. She tried mediating for them. She tried many times to ask them what was going on between them, but neither of the teens wanted to talk. 

Sosuke wrinkled his nose at Ponyo's back before giving his mom a kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna go. Wish me luck." With that the young boy pulled on his shoes at the door and disappeared into the warm summer day. 

To Sosuke's surprise, Kumiko was actually a very pleasant person. She'd grown a lot since he last knew her. Sosuke kicked himself a little bit, scolding himself internally for being so close minded as to assume Kumiko wouldn't have grown over the past ten years. 

"Let me pay." Sosuke offered the ¥900 his mom gave him for today. 

Kumiko stopped him. She gently moved his hand back to his side and payed for the ice cream herself. "You'll just owe me on the next date."

Sosuke chuckled a little bit, taking their ice creams and settling down on a nearby, salt-worn bench. He handed Kumiko's cone to her. "Next date?"

"You heard me. We've had so much fun." Kumiko grinned and helped herself to a lick of Sosuke's cone. "It only makes sense to make this a regular thing."

Sosuke's stomach turned into a knot. Not the kind of knot where you feel like you're going to throw up. The type of knot when you're filled with joy. He had had a wonderful time with Kumiko, and her asking for another date meant that she liked him too. Sosuke pushed up his glasses and nodded.

Kumiko gingerly rubbed some ice cream off of Sosuke's cheek.

Sosuke smiled. 

Back at the house on the hill, Ponyo was still reading her book on the couch. She'd been fighting back tears for the past two hours, forcing away the thoughts of Sosuke being on a date. The idea of Sosuke being with somebody other than her hurt. And not in a symbolic sense. Ponyo felt like her whole body hurt. Her head was throbbing and her bones were aching. Her blood was running cold.

Suddenly the little aches and pains turned into a shooting, sharp stab throughout her entire body. Ponyo couldn't help but scream out. What was happening to her? 

Lisa came running from the garden the instant she heard Ponyo's cry. When Lisa came to the living room, she couldn't believe her eyes. There, where Ponyo just was only fifteen minutes ago, was a little goldfish. 

"Oh no..." Lisa rushed to the fish and gingerly scooped it up. She ran into the kitchen, frantically filled a bowl with warm water, and gently, so gently deposited the fragile creature inside. 


End file.
